Dirty Blood
by TheDreamWitch
Summary: A vile mix of the two most rivaled species: vampire and werewolf. This rare and shunned new species is suddenly at risk of punishment, or even death. An unlucky girl named Chalice is the test subject of this mix. Follow her journey as she befriends the Cullen family and wages a war that has been feared for centuries.
1. Chapter 1

_Chalice_

Morning sunlight filtered through the thin airplane shade as I gazed out the small crack between the window and fabric. Fluffy, aerated clouds sailed past on invisible air currents, drifting past like lost sheep. My red hair caught the golden shafts of light, creating a halo around my head. Sleeping businessman snored softly around me, humming along with the plane engines. A small girl ahead of me was scribbling frantically in her colouring book, moving the crayon around in the page in random movements.  
My eyes wandered to a seat diagonal from mine, catching the eyes of a young man with perfect skin. His eyes were a mahogany, the color of old blood. A beam of sun sliced through the shade and illuminated a patch of his flawless skin. A thousand diamond-like sparks glanced onto the wall, looking like the man had hundreds of tiny jewel facets set into his skin. I couldn't look away as he just stared back and let a friendly smile light up his face. But, he soon looked away to adjust the shade back into a position that blocked the sun. I dropped my eyes as the grandeur of the shimmers disappeared.  
A voice crackled through the intercom overhead, alerting everyone that the aircraft was to land in about 10 minutes. I could feel the plane slowing down and descending from the baby-blue sky as it prepared to land back on solid ground. Vibrations filled the air as people woke up and hummed to other people, asking how the flight went for them, politely wondering where they were headed. An elderly lady smiled at me, showing me pearly white dentures glued to pink gums. I lifted the corners of my mouth in return, not opening my mouth at all. The perfect boy that I had spotted earlier was staring intently at me, his eyebrows furrowed into deep lines. His eyes seemed to grow darker and darker by the second, shifting colours before my very eyes.  
All of the sudden, the plane lurched to the side, throwing everybody off balance, causing suitcases and bags to slide into other seats. I gripped the armrests of my seat, hanging on for dear life as the plane attempted to right itself. I stumbled over to the window and observed the land far below. Nothing looked dangerous or out of place. No black storm clouds hovering just out of reach, no tell-tale signs of turbulence or strong air currents. I could feel my face draining of blood, bone white and terrified.  
"Please remain calm and take your respected seats." the flight attendant instructed in a cool and collected voice.  
Her voice was lost in the uproar of panicking voices and wails of kids and babies. I looked frantically around as the emergency oxygen masks came flopping down like spiders on thread and women tried to calm their crying children. Older people began to pray in their seats, couples held hands and hugged, whispering love into the others ear. The pale boy was calm, though, sitting with his hands clasped lightly in his lap. A lazy smile was set on his face, creating the appearance that he had been the bad guy in this terrible turn of events. I could only gape at his relaxed demeanor, and marvel at his worry free posture.  
"Were gonna crash!" someone yelled hysterically, as the plane took a nosedive towards the jagged earth below.  
I sat down heavily in my seat and buried my face in my hands. I was only 16 and I was already going to die. And what a way to go, strapped in a cheaply installed airplane seat listening to screaming passengers around me. The plane dove steeply downwards and my stomach seemed to be left up in my throat. The feeling of being on a rollercoaster flashed through my mind, but was gone when I remembered where I actually was. Papers, books and other assorted objects rose into the air as the plane spiraled down faster and faster. I grabbed my phone as it rose in front of my face. Speed dial flashed on it and I clicked speed dial for my mom. The voicemail came on and I clutched onto the phone like a lifeline.  
My mothers prerecorded voice crackled over the small speaker, rolling over my ears and soothing my worry. The beep signaling that I could talk sounded, and I held the phone up to my mouth.  
"I love you all. Tell dad that, too. Remember me, please." I sobbed into the mouthpiece.  
And with crushing finality, the aircraft smashed into the terrain below, shattering us all into oblivion.

_Ambrose_

I stepped over shards of bullet proof glass, the glittering pieces crunching like diamond leaves. Fire and snow mixed, creating steaming patches of heat. I walked through a wall of fire and came out on the other side feeling refreshed and cleansed. It was then that I heard it. The weak fluttering of a failing heart. Someone was still alive, still breathing in the precious, dirtied air. I stalked, predator like, across the uneven terrain. Metal stuck up from the frozen ground, looking like jagged, crooked teeth.  
I saw her, at that moment. The girl, Chalice, I think was her name. We had shared a glance on the plane, before it crashed. Shrapnel punctured her tender, soft flesh, blood oozed, congealed from the edges of the wounds. It smelled fresh, citrusy, a mix of apples and grapefruit. It was mouthwatering. Hurriedly, I rushed over and pressed two fingers to her pulsing throat. A still strong thump moved the skin of her neck, making it look like a hammer was tapping on the inside of her skin. I inhaled her scent, breathing in the smell of blood.  
Savagely, I bit down on her wrist, relishing the flesh that broke easily under my invincible teeth. The warm life giving liquid slid down my throat and dripped off of my chin. Red splattered onto the cold ground, sliding over the clear ice. I drew back, wiping my hand across my chin, smearing away any remaining drops of blood left hanging there. Her face was pale and washed of colour, nothing but a few pixels of blush left in her snowy-white cheeks. A deep, bass thumping starts pounding in my ears, and I lean down to listen closer. Her heart, once tired and laden with my poison, now pumps it through her body with manic frenzy. In a day or two, she would be one of us, a pale skinned beauty, frozen in eternal time, locked on this earth.  
Silently, I sat down by her and held her trembling hand, as her first blood-curdling scream ripped through the still air. Her eyes were squeezed closed impossibly tight, her eyelashes disappearing under wrinkled eyelids. I covered her forehead in my cold palm, hoping to cool down some of the burning pain ravaging her insides. I watched over her, through the three days she was changing, guarding her as her screams blemished the days.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chalice_

Burning pain. Fire, eating away at my insides, crawling savagely towards my heart. Nerve endings incinerated, blood vessels turned to ash. Red, fire, burning, pain. A flash of mahogany eyes, a set of grinning teeth. Blood, my blood dripping down a pale chin. Screams sounding from somewhere. Me. I'm screaming. Terror ripping from my throat, bursting forth in a wave of agony and pain. Make it stop, make it stop, I pleaded. Silently I begged to die, to fade into black, a dark background of death. End, end, end, end, end, I chanted over and over in my head, hoping that it would soon be over.

"Wake up. C'mon, wake up." a voice said as I was shaken gently.

Soft skin brushed my arm, my face, my neck. Probing fingers pushed against my eyes and cheeks, trying to rouse me from my slumber. My eyes flickered open, then snapped shut again, surprised by the sights around me. Scraps of metal littered the ground, a burning engine still flickered brightly against a twilight background. Dusty boots were visible by my face, scuffed and dirty. Clouds of gnats hovered in the heat, creating waves of shadow.

But what struck me as the oddest, was the clarity in which I saw. Even the smallest of dust particles floated clearly through the air, Grains of sand and ice caught my eyes as they glittered in the sunlight. Slowly, I cracked open my eyes again, and held my hand in front of my face. Small diamond facets sparkled just under my skin, just like the guy on the plane. A burning thirst raged in my throat, and I bolted upright in such a quick movement that everybody around me stumbled backwards. Or rather glided.

"How are you feeling?" a particularly beautiful woman said softly.

My gaze darted back and forth between the eight people that stood before me. My eyes stopped on a breathtakingly gorgeous boy, with bronze hair and topaz eyes. His hands hung in loose fists by his sides, blood staining the perfect white skin. The light of a fire glanced off of his eyes, making them look stony and hard. I could only stare at the fire in wonderment, as the warmth it emitted seemed not to affect me. A choked scream ripped up my throat as I saw a head of hair shift in the fire. Blank eyes gazed from the embers, looking straight at me.

"Is that-that the boy on the plane?" I questioned in a high pitched tone.

Grim nods and twisted mouths confirmed my hunch and I sank down in the red-tinted soil. I ran my fingers through the fine silt, sifting through the stones and ice trapped within it's dusty confines. Spots of blood dotted the brown, bringing back the scorching fire that burned through my throat.

"Why do I hurt? I am so hungry, thirsty, whatever it is. Help me!" I wailed, my voice hitching on the last part.

I felt like a monster for craving the blood that was by my legs. My perfectly sculpted legs, and arms and body. It was then that I started to notice my perfect state. The people around me shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what to do. A petite, black haired young woman stepped forward and smiled reassuringly.

"Let's get you something to eat." she said with a wicked grin curling the corners of her full mouth.

I could only follow her into the thick woods surrounding the crash sight, hoping that I wouldn't die.

After a few minutes of silence, she turned around and walked backwards, smiling at me with care and sympathy. A tree was drawing closer and closer to her, threatening to stop her backwards walk. I raised a hand to point to the obstacle, but she sidestepped at the last minute, narrowly avoiding the rough bark of the trunk. I shook my head, already getting used to the peculiar way these people acted.

"Do you know what you are, Chalice?" the woman asked.

I stopped and said no, scuffing my toe against the cushiony ground, kicking the pine needles a staggering 30 feet. I stopped moving after that, not even breathing, but then getting worried and gasping in huge lungfuls. The woman just watched me, waiting patiently for me to stop fidgeting. I met her eyes then, and calmed down at the soothing expression.

"Chalice, you are now one of us. A vampire, a blood drinking creature that holds a famed place in the most evil of fantasy stories. But we aren't all bad. We have saved, revived, even raised young ones like you. Do not be afraid." she said, pleading.

I sunk down onto the earthen floor, crossing my legs and clasping my hands together in my lap. What she said did not shock me as much as I thought it would. I had assumed that something was different, strange, wrong with me. My vision, my hearing, all my senses were stronger, more in tune with my environment. The faint beat of an animal's heart echoed in my ears. The strong thump of an elks heartbeat reverberated through my chest, giving the impression that I could feel a heart in myself as well. The woman came over to me and gracefully sat down as well, laying a hand on my arm. Her touch was a neutral temperature. It was neither hot nor cold, but rather in between, a happy medium.

"Is something wrong, Chalice?" she said, once again making me wonder how she knew my name.

"Nothing is wrong, only strange, new, yet exciting. Everything is different, yet nothing has changed inside of me. Well, my feelings at least. I can't say the same about my internal workings. I feel nothing but emptiness, and burning. A fire that licks up and down my throat and stomach. It hurts to talk, to breath, to live. Help me." I begged her.

"Well, my name is Alice and I will help you. Follow me, and you will be fine."

I grinned at Alice and stood up in one smooth, swift motion. My amazement at the agility I had must have showed on my face because she laughed and danced away in blindingly swift movements. But the thing was, I could still see her, every move she made, the air that swirled around her form. The dirt that hung in the air turned into small planets that rotated individually in my vision. Quickly, I caught up with Alice right as she was biting into a small deer.  
Its legs kicked out, its escape attempts growing feeble with its vanishing life force. I covered my mouth with a hand and backed away. No way in hell was I going to kill an innocent animal. I would live with my constant burn if it meant saving animals and myself the pain of death. I didn't want to have to always know that I had killed the things that I loved most, it would be too much to bear.

"Come here, Chalice." Alice commanded me, beckoning with a perfect finger.

I shook my head and held my ground, somehow holding myself back from the shining red blood on the deer's fur.

"If you don't eat you will kill anything, humans even to get the blood you skipped out on in the beginning. Please come and feed. Our clan does not want the trouble of having to deal with a newborn vampire on the loose, attacking people." she said firmly, giving me no choice but to slowly walk over to her and kneel by the now dead deer.

My lips all of the sudden seemed dry and cracked, causing me to lick my lips with apprehension as tension built up in my muscles. I leaned down and the smell of the blood hit me with such force that I lusted for it with such a passion that I dug my teeth into the soft, warm flesh of the animal. I was careful not to stain my clothes anymore with blood that was not mine, The metallic liquid that had once twisted my stomach in knots now made me tremble with pleasure and want. My insides warmed considerably with the food that I had needed. The fire dimmed down to the occasional spark, and I drew away, taking in the deer, my meal, that laid in front of me.

"You can feed more, there is plenty here." Alice said, trying to reassure me.

I shook my head and kissed the animal's head, closing its blank eyes, shutting the glossy chocolate brown stare.

Alice gave me a wondering look and started to walk back towards the group of people that she had come with. I followed her, unsure of what was wanted of me. Alice turned back and motioned for me to come with her. I jogged to catch up with her, but ended up almost barreling over her. I giggled nervously and straightened out what was left of my blouse and jeans. I attempted to hold together the many scratches and tears in my shirt, especially a very large rip that hung open to expose the top of my rib cage and part of my bra. I did not want to go back with all the other vampires with my undergarments showing. With that one boy that I saw, my chances of ever living up to the current condition I was in was zip.

"Nobody is going to care, silly. Well, the boys might be a little, you know, boyish. But otherwise, you look perfect. Literally." Alice comforted, amused.

I sighed and smiled faintly, not so sure about her confidence in how I looked. But, with regret, I trailed after her, not particularly looking forward to seeing everybody.


	3. Chapter 3

_Edward_

I kneeled down by the spots of blood that littered the frosty dirt. The faint imprint of the girl's body could be seen, barely there, almost invisible. Her scent still lingered, the drying blood letting off a delightful aroma. When I had seen her, my breath had caught in my throat. Her eyes had been already fading, more of a golden red than bright red. It was amazing. She hadn't even fed yet and her eyes were fading already.

"Who turned her, do you think?" Emmett asked.

I shrugged and sniffed the air, taking care to sniff into the wind to see if there was an unknown scent coming from that direction. Once more I shrugged and stood, brushing my pants off and tugging at the hem of my shirt. Emmett's mate, Rosalie, rolled her eyes and sighed.

"I don't see what the big deal is about this girl. There have been newborns found at random like this, and none of you ever cared this much. She's just another baby vampire that doesn't know how to handle herself and just be burned." she complained in her whiny voice.

Emmett slung an arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek, trying to calm her down. At that moment, Alice and the girl wandered back out of the woods. Alice was pristine, as usual, and the girl was pretty clean for her first feeding. Rips and tears from the crash showed pale skin and the bottom of a cotton undergarment. I averted my eyes, not sure I could trust myself with the image of her perfect body. A growl rose in my throat as Emmett whistled and Jasper grinned, even with his mate, Alice, snuggled up beside him.

"I think we have ourselves another member of the family, everybody." Alice said in her tinkling voice, smiling with a pearly white set of teeth.

Chalice ducker her head and fiddled with a scrap of cloth that hung off of her blouse. Again, my eyes wandered to the rip on her rib cage, examining the bloodied fabric of the garment. I could tell that before she had been turned, already she was near death and bleeding out. With the amount of her own blood visible on the fabric, it looked gruesome and terrible.

"Do you have any idea who changed you?" my foster mother, Esme questioned gently, laying a hand on her shoulder.

Chalice flinched slightly and looked at the ground, unsure, it seemed, of what to say. I walked up to her and tilted her chin up with a finger. Her eyes widened when she saw me. For what reason, I didn't know. Her eyes were now a very light red with more gold showing through. Her skin was smooth and even, and the slight hint of sun that peeked from around the clouds made her skin glint and glow faintly. She was so different, better, more incredible. Nobody elses skin was sparkling right now, only hers. And her eyes were changing so fast that you had to wonder if she was even a newborn vampire, or older than that.

"What did he look like?" I asked softly, trying to get a read on her mind at the same time.

A barrage of images invaded my head, flashes of the crash and a woman I assumed was her mom. Then, a vampire I recognized wisped among the many pictures. He was the boy we had burned. It was strange since he had not a speck of blood, or even the scent of her blood on him. He had been wandering around her, though, circling like a hungry lion. He had dark hair, blonde streaked through the black. His mahogany eyes sparked bright in her memories, the last thing she saw before she was fully turned. It was amazing, the images her mind still remembered. Most of the time a vampire, newly turned would remember bits and pieces of their fuzzy, blur of human memories. But Chalice's, hers were crisp and fresh and new. Yet they were human memories, left over from her previous life.

I realized that I was staring, amazed at her face, and that she was staring back, a hand laid on mine, as it caressed her cheek. My foster siblings were looking at us both, a worried and troubled expression on all of their faces. I drew back, quickly removing my hand from her face. I could have been mistaken, but it was almost as if Chalice was sad that we had broken the short moment we had experienced. I cleared my throat unnecessarily, raising a few eyebrows when I told the family what I had seen.

"It was Ambrose. He turned her. Carlisle, is it possible for her human memories to be just as clear as her newly made vampire ones? It seems a bit abnormal, the things I saw that were from her past life. The clarity in them seemed too sharp to be remembered from the human mind. It was remarkable." I said in an amazed voice, sharing my thoughts with my father, Carlisle.

His face remained questioning, but he replied, just as clueless as I was. "It seems possible, it just isn't easy to picture. There has been other reports of special vampire such as her." he gestured to Chalice as he said this. "Actually, there has been only one. A singular vampire that died long ago, was burned for being a witch among the village. Even then, some small settlements had common sense enough to tear apart their victims before burning. It was as if they knew about the vampire race."

Everybody looked around and gave a skeptical glance to their spouse. I only trained my gaze on Chalice who was glaring off into the distance. Her eyes were glassy, lost deep in thought, unblinking. She wasn't breathing, something vampires usually did just out of habit. Her still body was rigid as a tree, solid as one too. Emmett smiled and sauntered up behind her, jabbing her back with two fingers. I could only shake my head and turn away. He just didn't understand that at this point in time he was not the strongest, nor exactly the smartest in the clan right now. My thoughts were confirmed when I heard a grunt and solid crack against the earthen floor.  
Various sounds of amusement swept around the half circle of my family as Emmett was being pummelled by an angry and upset newborn vampire. It wasn't until Chalice had Emmett's head in the position to rip it off that somebody jumped in. Both Carlisle and Rosalie swooped in on her at the same time, succeeding in rescuing Emmett from Chalice's clutches and soothing her to the point if reasonable speaking.

"What's on your mind, dear?" Esme asked, trying to keep a casual voice as she prodded Chalice for more information.

Chalice only stood there shaking, her hands trembling with barely controlled anger. But then, suddenly she collapsed, falling to the ground and landing with her head resting on an outstretched palm. We all rushed to her at the same time, trying to revive her which wasn't happening. Vampires never closed their eyes for rest or anything such as. And never, ever, in the history of vampires, had one become unresponsive and passed out. It was hard to tell if she in danger or anything since body temperature never changed, and the usual blush in any normal persons cheeks was not present in a vampire.

"Chalice, honey, wake up. Come on, sweet." Esme begged.

Nothing was working, until I scooped her. Instantly, she twitched awake, her eyes rolled into the back of her head. She all of the sudden looked brittle and broken, like a toy china doll about ready to crack. Her hands were limp, dead, all too friable. She shivered violently, writhing and twisting, her mouth uttered inaudible words, too silent for ears. A secret was being held back, restrained, tied down to a chair and locked up so it could not escape.

"Put...me...down." Chalice stuttered weakly. I shook my head and clutched her tighter.

"If you...you don't put me down...you will get hurt." she said with more force, even starting to try and shove me away.

I had no choice but to put her down, laying her on the cold, compacted ground. I was just time, too, because at that moment something extraordinary happened.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chalice_

Pain exploded once more in my body. But this time it was not fire, but ice. Ice and aches. Shifting and moving around, rearranging. I knew from the moment that man bit me, it was bad. Very bad. I could feel something move inside of me, an awakening memory. It was as if that at that moment my instincts had kicked in. And now, it was making an appearance.

"It...hurts!" I panted to Edward, writhing in pain on the ground at his feet.

A frightened look was spread across his face, and alarm was growing apparent on everybody else's as well.

"What's happening to her?" Esme was asking the blonde man.

He shook his head and grabbed my hand, rubbing his thumb across the top. The small, simple gesture was touching, seeing as this man did not even know me. None of these people knew me, yet their kindness was shocking. The pain did not diminish though, but instead seemed to push out, bursting from beneath my skin. And in an instant, it was over. Only a reverberating echo pounded on the inside of my skull. Gasps and hisses reached my ears, making me raise my head to look around.

Everything was in sharp, clear detail. Almost sharper than my vampire vision. My hearing was sharper as well. It was like the invisible currents in the air were roaring in my ears. Around me, the once friendly group of vampires now looked hostile and cold. Their faces were twisted up in confusion or hatred, their gleaming teeth bared white at me. I looked around, not realizing what was going on. Why were they all staring at me. Just a moment ago, I was the new vampire, the plaything, the amazing newcomer. Edward, the golden haired boy seemed to like me, admire me even. Esme and Alice had a special liking for me that I had accepted gratefully. And Emmett and Carlisle were friendly enough, although not completely warmed up to me, nor I to them.

"What is she?" Rosalie asked disgustedly.

I huffed and attempted to stand up again and confront this Rosalie chick. Her attitude problem was beginning to grate on my already short nerves. As soon as I was on my feet, I was going to pummel that perfect face, that ice cold stare of hers was going to disappear beneath my fists. But when I tried to stand, it was as if somebody took there foot and swept it under my legs. They flew out from under me, landing me back on the hard ground. I couldn't exactly say that it hurt, more just a bit of a shock.

Small snickers flew from person to person, causing me to turn to each and every person, until I was craning my neck over my shoulder. I started when I saw a furry tail making circles in the dust, and screamed when I saw that it was attached to a body, which was attached to me. But instead of a scream, a long, high pitched howl tore through the dry air. I slapped a hand, or paw, over my mouth, which was actually just a long muzzle with skin stretched taut over elongated teeth.

"Again, I ask, what is she? Rosalie repeated, looking about ready to rip me apart.

I glanced back at Edward, my expression turning crestfallen when I saw that his face was twisted up in something i couldn't identify as supportive. Esme's eyes were squinted, her mouth turned into a half frown, and he hands clasped at her waist. Carlisle looked about the same, and had an arm around Esme's shoulders. Alice and Jasper both stood stock still, although Alice had a pleasant smile on her face. Jasper was staring intently at me, his lips pursed and his body leaning towards me. I could feel myself calming down, and strangely enough accepting the fact that I was being hated.

" Didn't you see this?" Esme asked Alice, a frustrated tone slithering into her voice.

Alice simply nodded and bounced up to me, laying a small hand on my head. I pushed into her rubbing fingers, enjoying the sensation of them. Edward was still scowling at me, but unless I was mistaken, there was a glint of care and sympathy that once again sparked in those topaz eyes. A small part of me wished that he would come over and take Alice's place, to comfort me in this rough time. But for now, I could only sit there and weep into Alice's shoulder at the humiliation that clouded my better judgment and mind.


	5. Chapter 5

Edward

Her eyes plead me to accept her, but my mind was screaming at me no. After all, she was a werewolf, my nemesis, our species' number one predator. I couldn't just her let live, knowing that she could possibly slaughter us all in a few bounds. But then again, I could not kill her. I seemed physically unable to do so. As Alice walked up to her and stroked her massive head, a small inkling of care and sympathy overrode my natural instinct.

"Carlisle, what is this?" I questioned quietly, still staring in wonderment at Chalice.

Carlisle only shook his head, amazed with what he was seeing as well. His eyes could only roam over Chalice's fur covered body, taking in every detail, every little thing that he could, so that it was possible for him to record it in one of his many books he secretly kept. This was the first time anything like this had been seen or heard of. Never had any of us read about a half vampire half werewolf.

"I do not know. But I shall call her a halfling. With her half vampire and half werewolf blood, she could be capable many, extraordinary things! But now, she is weak, a mere shell of her full potential. If only we could get what she needed..." he said excitedly, trailing off in thought.

Chalice only sighed and rested her muzzle on her paws. The giant nails protruding from the toes made me cringe, and all the more thankful I wasn't on the receiving end of them. Her hazel eyes half closed, a watered down look making them seem glassy. But I knew that it was sadness, self pity and hopelessness that clouded her eyes. The way she had glanced at me, with need and begging, should have been enough to melt any heart. But I had shunned her, only returned her gaze with a stone cold glare.

"Chalice, please look at me." I whispered, kneeling down by her side.

Her head swung up and around and her tail did a small thump against that earth as her eyes met mine once again. Alice moved her hand away, drawing it back to her body with a look of pleased happiness and a small inkling of disdain as the smell of werewolf overrode her sensitive nose. I smiled faintly, only to jump back in surprise when Chalice bared her teeth at me. They glistened with saliva, and shimmered in the light, making them seem huge and menacing. Then, with dawning realization, and figured out that she was just smiling, because a soft, kind look was set in her eyes.

"I am sorry, Chalice. I really am. I made a mistake. I shouldn't.." I faltered for a second and I saw Chalice's face fall a slight bit. "I should never had given you that look. The shock of the moment got to me and I was not thinking straight."  
Her eyes hardened a bit though, despite my sincerest apology. She turned her head away once more, and her ears laid back against her skull a bit. I laid my palm against her shoulder and felt her tense up underneath my fingers. A small bit of hurt registered in the back of my mind, but I knew that I deserved it. I could tell that she had liked me, whether or not it was just a crush or something more, I wasn't sure.

"Chalice, why don't you just change back? We can talk better that way." Alice prodded gently.

Chalice bobbed her head and stood up in a huff. This time, her feet stayed planted firmly on the ground, and as she shook out her thick fur, I could see the power that was stored in her body, the pent up anger, hurt, bewilderment. All of the emotions that roiled beneath the surface of her misty eyes were there, and barely contained.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" I pushed.

Chalice sent me a beseeching look and lumbered into the forest. Her modesty was strong and she wanted to be covered. I didn't see what she was going to cover herself with, considering her clothes had already been ripped up in the crash, and reduced to shreds when she shifted. And there weren't big enough leaves to cover the necessary parts of her anatomy. I tapped Alice on the shoulder and nudged her towards where Chalice had disappeared in the tree line. She got my message and skipped into the woods, snapping back branches and twigs behind her.

Carlisle was whispering to Esme, his lips forming words no human would be able to make out. The lightning quick conversation was over in a matter of seconds, and both of them turned back to face me, Rosalie and Emmet. Emmet was grinning from ear to ear, already having heard most of the conversation between the the two adults. Rosalie looked none too happy, an unpleasant look spread across her face in clear disgust.

"Looks like we are going to have a halfling in our midsts." crowed Emmet.

Rosalie rolled her eyes as a few squeals of excitement seeped from between the trees. Alice and Chalice came flying out of them at the same time, Chalice accidentally crushing a few massive trunks in the process. Leaves and bark went sailing through the air as she did this, causing a sheepish grin to appear on her sparkling face. Alice hugged her and jumped up and down, doing a girly happy dance as Chalice just stood there and ducked her head.

"Those clothes look a tad small." I commented as Chalice tugged at the bottom of the slip that meagerly covered her thighs. A small cami was stretched taut across her semi busty frame.

Alice grimaced and adjusted her slightly loose shirt, flattening it against the waistband of her skirt. Jasper, who had been standing silently off to the side draped an arm over Alice's shoulder, drawing her near to his chest and kissing her hard on the lips. Chalice looked away and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. I smiled but quickly hit it as she snuck a side look at me. If she could blush, I had a feeling she would be bright red. I sauntered over to her and brushed my hand across her cheek which was temperately warm.

"Hey there." I said quietly, leaning in to her ear.

A small shiver coursed through her stony body before she turned away and crossed her arms. A scowl deepened on her lips, turning them downwards in a frown. Small lines creased her forehead and her hands clenched tight against her sides. I sighed, releasing a small laugh with it. Her frown did not dissipate but instead seemed to deepen.

"Why are you displeased?" I questioned lightly

She turned to me and her gaze softened the slightest bit, before she slapped me hard across the face.


	6. Chapter 6

_Chalice_

"I am displeased because of everyone's natural hate and general disliking for me. I don't even know what or who I am anymore, so I don't know the reason for everybody's hate for me." I complained bitterly.

My voice was hollow, devoid of much emotion besides dislike. He had broken my heart, and I didn't even know him very well. Yet the displeasure, the hate, the disgust on his face had shattered me into a million pieces.

"Chalice, there is something you know about me." Edward said lightly, hardly breathing the words.

I faced him more and set my mouth in a hard line, waiting for some type of story or explanation for his whole attitude towards me. He was holding his breath, hardly moving, his eyes worried and full of pain and sorrow. Finally, he took a deep breath and started talking.

"She was everything. My air, my drug, my blood. I was drawn to her in a way that no vampire had ever experienced with a human. It was a dangerous love, risky and full of unnecessary misfortune." he explained painfully.

I set my chin on my hands and rested my elbows on my crossed knees, settling in for the story. Edward sighed once more and continued on, telling a tale of fortunate and not so fortunate happenings with a human called Bella. She sounded dramatic, a bit wanton, but maybe, just possibly a nice person. Well, on their honeymoon, Edward somehow managed to impregnate her, something that was unheard of in the vampire world. The baby was violent, too strong for Bella's weak, merely human body. But she wanted to keep the child, and carried through with the pregnancy.

The baby beat her up from the inside out, damaging Bella's organs and breaking bones. Then, after the placenta was detached, they had to give an emergency birth. In the process, Bella technically died, and could not be revived. Edward pumped her full of his vampiric venom, hoping for the best, and then dealing with the werewolves that were against Bella's surprise child. The vampire government, dubbed the Volturi also despised the new half human half vampire child. In the end, though, everything balanced out, and the baby, named Renesmee, was safely in the arms of Bella.

"But then the Volturi changed their minds about the two of them." Edward said, no tears visible yet in his eyes.

"They took them away and later, sent us a letter inviting us to Bella's funeral. Of course, I went. But left less than halfway through when they opened the casket and set fire to it. Before everything went up in flames, I saw that they had laid Renesmee in Bella's arms. Her eyes were closed, and her face was blue, and Bella's head was sitting in the crook of her arm."

"I ran out, killing two guards in the process and demolishing a column or two. Then I started running up to another, unknown vampire clan willing to kill anything that caused problems. Carlisle chased after me along with the rest of the family, and found me here, holding you in my arms. You may have possibly saved me." he whispered in a transparent tone.

My eyes felt like they should be welling up with tears, but they didn't instead squinting tight with the unshed water. Edward looked about the same as I probably did. His fists furled into fist again, obviously not changing colours because he was a vampire, but looking about ready to hit something.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't even know...I should not have acted like I did. I know it sounds weird, but I feel like I love you. As if I have known you, as if I should have met you so long ago." I said to Edward timidly.

He grasped my hand and squeezed it tight, applying just enough pressure to make me feel safe, but not so little that it didn't seem heartfelt. His eyes had gone gentle, losing their hard edge. The topaz depths drew me in, sucked my body towards him without me even aware of it. His breathing, although unnecessary, grew heavier, quicker, more desperate as we leaned to each other.

At the last second though, he veered away from my aching lips and rested his chin on my solid shoulder. I suppressed a disappointed sigh and laid my cheek against his silky hair. Absently, I ran a hand through it, suprised to find not a single tangle in the thick mass. I brushed at my own hair, sad to find that mine did not have the same quality. Almost instantly, Edward grabbed my hand again and rested it on his head, giving me the signal to keep petting him. I giggled and continued with it, finding comfort in the action.

"Ugh, you two, Get a room." Rosalie said, stalking past us on long legs.

Emmet trailed helplessly behind, subject to her every whim. I felt bad for him, for his face was downcast, sad almost, as Rosalie started running back home, I assumed. He grudgingly followed, keeping a close distance between the two of them. Edward chuckled slightly, his previous despair gone from his face. There was happiness there, but there was also an underlying tone of dismal reality. I felt hopeless to bring back the carefree person he probably was.

"We should probably get heading home as well. It is getting kind of late." Edward suggested and motioned to the pinks that had started to streak the sky.

The pastel colours of the sunset had stained our skin a variety of hues, ranging from purple to yellow. Sparks flew off of the snowy white of Edward's arms and reflected onto my face. I felt beautiful at that moment, seeing my own skin sparkling like jewels as well. Edward looked admiringly at my body, giving an almost indiscernible nod before sprinting away.

I easily caught up with him, my newly shaped legs eating up the frozen and hard-packed ground. Edward glanced at me before speeding up even more, trying to gain ground. I kept even with him though, skipping happily. I saw a large tree that had fallen ahead of me. The trunk was as thick or thicker than my waist, and the branched were flowing upwards in smooth uniform lines. I tucked my head down and pumped my arms faster before leaping into the air with all that I had.

Below me the earth disintegrated into tiny fractions of snow and forest. Crystallized air froze my lungs, but no pain was felt by my non-existent innards. Then I realized how high up I really was. Edward had stopped farther ahead and shielded his eyes against the bright sun. A squeal built in my throat, before I landed down on the ground. I prepared to roll, but with shock I realized my feet easily took the fall. I rolled up on my toes with joy and kissed Edward on the cheek. Shock spread across his face along with an embarresed expression. I cleared my throat and zoomed off once more.


	7. Chapter 7

Edward

My face wanted to burn with embarrassment but the lack of internal workings prevented that from happening. The unexpected kiss from Chalice left me wanting more, and already missing the lost contact. She was already a spot in the distance, a disturbance on the horizon line. I shook my head and sprinted after her, actually having to work at catching up. Her newly turned body, along with the fact that she had wold in her as well, made her faster than any of us in the clan. And I found myself irrevocably in love with her. It had not even been 2 hours and already I was attracted to her.

I would have thought that after the unexpected death of Bella and my daughter, I would never be able to love again. Never be able to live knowing that I had caused all of it. But none of it seemed to matter anymore. I had found someone new, someone more compatible with who I was. I was a vampire, she was a vampire plus more. I could only hope that the rest of the family would accept her more than they had shown.

"Hey, Chalice, do you even know where you're going?" I yelled at her when I was within 300 feet from her.

Her bare feet danced over the ground, barely touching down before taking another step. Reddish-brown hair whipped out behind her back, long and free of tangles. She nodded her head faintly, indicating that she did know where she was going.

"I am following everybody else's scent." she shouted back.

I willed for her to slow down even though my breathing was as normal as ever. This fast pace would be hard to converse in, and if I couldn't even keep up with her long strides. Then, almost as if reading my mind, she slowed, lessening her speed and falling into step beside me. The wind still tore through our hair and clothing but we were at a reasonable pace now.

"Jeez Chalice. Any faster and you could have time traveled forwards into time. That was outrageous." I commented ruefully.

She grinned at me, elongating her teeth every so slightly to make herself look like a vampire. It was kind of creepy actually, seeing the real way we were portrayed. With fangs and black veins. Dark hair and pale skin. Seeing us, you never would have known what we were. That was, without sun.

Within an hour we were back at my house. Chalice was gazing, amazed, through the giant back windows that dominated the walls. Her reflection was awestruck, and full of wonder at the beauty of our backyard. Just beyond the fringe of trees, there was a meadow I planned to take her to later, the same one that I had taken Bella to and proposed to her. It was going to be a heart-wrenching experience, but I loved Chalice and wanted her to see the vast beauty of it.

"Chalice, come here." I commanded her, not unkindly.

She wandered over, all the while keeping her focus on a butterfly that danced outside the thick glass barrier. I clasped her hand in mine and led her outside once more. A soft breeze wafted down from the mountains, tinted with rain and summer. It wasn't cold, but it wasn't hot either; not that any of it affected us. We picked our way through the thick undergrowth of the forest, still holding hands and talking quietly. Her laughter echoed through the trees whenever I made her giggle, and birds seemed to stop chirping just to listen to it. And when we broke through the branches, her eyes went wide and shocked.

Before us, a large field of dancing grasses and swaying flowers stretched. Blue and purple and yellow blooms dotted the green. The sky seemed to reflect the vibrant colours, appearing all the hues of the ground below. Chalice gasped in delight and rushed into the middle, twirling around and around, her arms spread wide and welcoming. I chuckled and followed her more slowly. She pranced over to me and in one fluid movement pressed her mouth to mine.

Her soft lips searched mine, and her eyelashes fluttered against my cheeks. My hands tangled in her soft hair, holding her closer to me. Breathy sighs vibrated in her throat and into my lips as her teeth scraped my lip. I smiled and pulled away, drawing an unnecessary breath. Chalice rested her head on my collarbone, tucking herself into the hard contours of my body.

"I love you. I never want to lose you." she said happily.

"There will never be enough time for me to be with you, but let's start with forever." I whispered back, finally starting to let myself love again...


End file.
